Nitrous oxide emission from forest, marsh, and prairie ecosystems

Journal Article · · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6139339

Goodroad, L L; Keeney, D R

Measurements of N/sub 2/O emissions from seven natural ecosystem sites in the University of Wisconsin Arboretum (Madison, WI) were conducted during 1979, 1980, and early 1981. Nitrous oxide emissions during summer and autumn 1979 averaged 0.6, 0.7, 1.5, 7.7, 18.0, 0.2, and 8.5 ng N/sub 2/O-N m/sup -2/ s/sup -1/ from a burned and an unburned tall-grass prairie, a deciduous forest, a coniferous forest, a drained and an undrained marsh, and a wet meadow, respectively; the N/sub 2/O fluxes from the same sites from March to November 1980 averaged 0.6, 0.6, 4.3, 10.1, 41.3, 0.3, and 8.5 ng N/sub 2/O-N m/sup -2/ s/sup -1/, respectively. Although soil temperatures were near freezing, N/sub 2/O emissions were as high during the spring thaw as they were during the rest of the year. Other N/sub 2/O flux maxima were observed following periods of heavy rainfall during the summer. The source of inorganic N in these soils is largely mineralization of soil organic matter and plant residue. The quantities of N/sub 2/O lost and the mechanisms responsible for N/sub 2/O evolution are a complex combination of environmental and substrate conditions that control mineralization of N as well as subsequent nitrification and possibly denitrification.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
• OSTI ID: 6139339
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 13:3; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DENITRIFICATION
DIFFUSION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FORESTS
INFORMATION
MINERALIZATION
NITRIFICATION
NITROGEN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN CYCLE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
RANGELANDS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOILS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
VARIATIONS
WETLANDS